If you are like me you need more time and energy to sustain all the wonderful projects and relationships in your life. Until recently my own linear thinking had me believing the conventional wisdom that time and energy are finite. Neither assumption is true. Let me explain.
Recently while loading up our bread maker (We don’t eat store bought bread anymore but that’s another blog post), I was listening/watching Tim Ferriss’ Random Episode 8 – 2010 Resolutions with Kevin Rose and Tim Ferriss.
They ramble on, talk about this and that and drink good red wine. It is entertaining. Then, at minute 29, I listened, paused, backed up, listened again, paused, backed up, listened and wrote this down.
What is the one constraint that if removed would make me 5, 10, 15 or even 20 times more productive? -Tim Ferriss
Next, I remembered that while earning my MBA many years ago I was required to read The Goal
Traditional thinking will get you traditional results. If you want new, unheard of and unexpected results, remove constraints on your thinking so you can enter the world of “what you don’t know you don’t know.” When you become comfortable thinking outside what you now view as your comfort zone, your thinking will go radical.
Radical thinking is determined in your own mind. You need to get out of your own way and make what now seem like impossible decisions. The strategy above is about freeing up your time so that you can think radically whenever and wherever you choose. I have done this and the amount of time and energy I am gaining each day is nothing short of amazing.
Action Item: On a quiet morning grab a cup of coffee and a blank sheet of paper. Write a list of ten things you would stop doing “if you could.” I does not matter how impossible it seems to stop doing these things right now, just keep writing until you have all ten. Put the list away. In seven days come back to the list with a fresh cup of coffee and another quiet moment. Trust me, at least one of your previously impossible to get rid of items will already be gone from your life. Now, go find a cup of coffee and a quiet place, what have you got to lose?
So glad you like that episode of Random, wait til you get to the early stuff, those guys are so great. I have a tough time actually completing this exercise , not sure why, but I struggle with it.
jim,
couple of things if you remember –
if you do what you did, you get what you got.
always leave the last item of the list blank, it’s for the one you haven’t thought of yet.
and lastly – be careful if you open the shrink wrapper, you may own it!
glad to see you’re doing well – good luck!
dean
My good friend and first mentor “Dean” reminded me of something he taught me. Always add one more item to your list and leave it blank (see his comment).
Cracking that shrink wrap on SCO Xenix 20+ years ago changed my life for the better Dean, this blog and all my company sites run on Linux servers.
You taught me a lot my friend!